Academic Professionals

1. Academic Professionals at University of Wyoming Nicole Ballenger, Associate Provost

2. What’s on your mind? • As an AP, am I a second-class citizen? • Can I move into a tenure track? • Do I have the right to vote on faculty cases? • Will I succeed at UW?

3. Are you an AP? Academic Professionals comprise a category of University academic personnel, distinct from classified and professional staff and faculty, dedicated to the academic mission of the University (UW Regulation 5-408) • Lecturer • Research Scientist • Extension Educator • Postdoctoral Associate

4. AP and faculty numbersAY2012-2013

5. Why have an AP category? • Some jobs require or benefit from a primary focus on one dimension of the academic mission • directing a core laboratory facility (research scientist) • delivering science-based information to external clientele full-time (extension educator) • teaching a panoply of lower-division required or service courses such as composition, algebra, Spanish I (lecturer) • AP’s fill a critical niche. We didn’t hire you as an AP because “you were cheaper,” “easier to get,” “are married to a faculty member, “or haven’t finished your Ph.D.” (You can’t be transferred into a tenure-track position although you may apply for open faculty positions.)

6. Are there rules and regulations just for APs? UW Regulation 5-408 governs the establishment of Academic Professional positions • Defines AP categories and general duties of each • Describes appointment types • Non-extended term (short-term, part-time, often soft-money, many are renewable) • Extended term-track (stable fiscal support is a necessary condition, may result in 6-year contracts, renewable) • Defines ranks (assistant, associate, senior) • And describes review procedures for appointment renewals, extended term contracts, and promotions

7. UW Regulation 5-408 also addresses • Academic freedom (see UW Regulation 5-1) • Freedom from discrimination and harassment (see UW Regulation 1-5) • Dispute resolution (see UW Regulation 5-35) • Representation in Faculty Senate • Ongoing professional development (akin to sabbatical leaves) • And describes your role in reviewing your peers’ cases • What about your role in reviewing faculty cases? See UW regulation 5-803 regarding voting protocols.

8. Do APs have academic freedom? • “Academic freedom (and tenure) do not exist because of a peculiar solicitude for the human beings who staff our academic institutions. They exist, instead, in order that society may have the benefit of honest judgment and independent criticism which otherwise might be withheld because of fear of offending a dominant social group or transient social attitude.” Clark Byse and Louis Joughin, Tenure in American Higher Education: Plans, Practices, and the Law (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1959), p.4. • UW guarantees academic freedom for APs too and expects “honest judgment and independent criticism”.

9. How do I get that extended-term contract? • Must complete a probationary period (normally six years) • To establish mastery of major job duties and to demonstrate the promise of continuing professional growth and development. (Recommendations at all levels are predictions of success.) • During probationary period, APs undergo annual reviews for reappointment based on documented assessments of performance in all job elements. • APs not granted reappointment have the right to resign and, in some cases, have a grace period. • An extended-term contract runs six years and may be renewed. Reviews for renewal occur in year five of the extended-term period.

10. And how do I earn a promotion in rank? • Promotion in rank requires a thorough performance review by peers, faculty, and administrators at the department, college, and university levels • See UW Reg 5-408 for qualifications and skills required at each rank • Promotion reviews may occur concurrently with reviews for extended term appointments or renewals, but need not be simultaneous • A level of accomplishment commensurate with a rank higher than assistant is normally a necessary condition for an extended-term appointment.

11. Promotion criteria • Will differ for type of AP and possibly among units • Criteria may be qualitative rather than quantitative and should describe a “trajectory” or progressive path of professional growth • Example for an Associate Lecturer: • Will normally have at least a Master’s degree or equivalent • Must also have a record of demonstrated, significant contributions to teaching, not only through superior performance in the classroom but also through the broader support of the University’s teaching mission • For example, through contributions to design, development, and oversight of curriculum in specific courses; demonstrated breadth and versatility of teaching in a range of courses, etc.

12. Promotion criteria • Example for Associate Research Scientist • Will normally have at least a Masters degree or its equivalent • Must also have a record of demonstrated, significant contributions to research and scholarship • A convincing record of substantial support to the research enterprise might include demonstrated development of expertise, significant contributions to the preparation of successful grant proposals and refereed papers, evidence of effective mentorship or supervision of students or employees whose work is essential to the research enterprise.

13. Does “collegiality” count? • Not a separate evaluation criteria, but most AP responsibilities are inherently collaborative activities (e.g. teaching, curriculum development, mentoring, grant preparation, working with external clientele) so collegiality impacts your ability to be effective in all these arenas • If lack of collegiality impairs the department’s ability to conduct its mission effectively and with pride, it CAN be the basis for a non-reappointment recommendation • It matters….for faculty too!

14. How do I prepare for the review? You will compile a packet that includes: • Appointment history and offer letter • Job description • Complete curriculum vitae • Summary of accomplishments (courses taught, syllabi, information on tests, assignments, student learning assessment) • Assessments of teaching (self, peer, administrator, student evals) • Documentation of service activities • Documentation of professional development activities • Where appropriate, internal or external letters of reference • Documentation of recommendations at all levels • Responses (optional) to evaluations by peers, department head, and dean

15. How does the review process work? (replicates process for tenure-track faculty review) • Department level • Peers (may include external peers, e.g. extension educators in your region) and faculty (comments and “votes”) • Department head’s recommendation • College level • College level committee (structure may differ by college, AP type) • Dean’s recommendation (and Extension Director’s if Extension Educator) • University level • University T&P committee (selected cases only, augmented with AP rep for AP cases) • Academic Affairs’ recommendation • Review by President (on appeal only) TRUSTEE ACTION

16. When do you get the news? • Positive cases are forwarded from Academic Affairs to the Board of Trustees • March for first-year cases; May for all others • Only the Trustees can confer tenure and extended-term contracts • Academic Affairs will notify you by letter of the Trustees’ decision immediately following the May (or March) meeting • UW does not recognize “de facto” tenure or extended terms

17. Thank you for joining us! • Did we answer all your questions? • For more information, please visit our Faculty Career Resources page on the Academic Affairs website: http://www.uwyo.edu/acadaffairs/faculty-resources